Killingly IT director deals with change

Monday

Oct 21, 2013 at 11:05 PMOct 21, 2013 at 11:05 PM

By John Penney

Anthony Tomah recently was hired as the Killingly school district’s new director of information technology. He is responsible for overseeing all technological aspect of the district, including computers, telephones and wireless systems. He also conducts professional development and is in charge of technology purchases.

Q: What is required to get the Killingly School District iPad program for high school students up and running?

A: “In general, a one-to-one technology program requires appropriate funding and endorsement by students, staff, administration and the Board of Education. The curriculum has to be initially redesigned to include mobile technology and altered to incorporate new and emerging technologies. Professional development has to be systemic and continuous and must also go beyond the curriculum. The technology staff must possess the skills to showcase and troubleshoot the technology. For that, they must have appropriate certification and must also attend at least one large technology conference per year to keep updated with emerging technology.”

Q: The town has argued that introducing laptops and iPads is too expensive and fraught with privacy issues for students. How do you counter that?

A: “What is the price of not using technology in the classroom? It is clear that technology exists all around us in various forms. We need to incorporate technology into the classroom because our students are and will be using technology in their everyday lives and careers. As with all powerful tools, technology in the classroom must be used appropriately and the users must be held accountable for their actions. We use technology to keep our students safe while navigating the Internet and we continue to identify new technology to aid us in our educational mission with a continued focus on protection in every technological decision we make.”

Q: With continuing difficulty passing school budgets, how do you ensure that students get enough computer training for the post-high school world?

A: “It is my duty to provide the best budget for the best investment in technology for all students and staff. I must be present at important meetings, be available for questions from district employees as well as community members, I must continually reinvent myself and my department to keep up to date with current educational technology trends, and I must use the least amount of money and provide the most compelling argument for what I’m trying to accomplish, I must be continually evaluating how the technology program is working. By disseminating this information to the district administration and Board of Education, we can make incremental changes as needed.”

Q: What will the high school classroom of 2020 look like?

A: “I see all students having micro-projectors enabling them to use any surface as a screen. This image will be touch sensitive and voice activated. It will be a system that learns your patterns of tasks throughout your day and makes suggestions based on each tasks requirements and previous outcomes. It will also be an extension of the classroom where you will have a constant virtual presence and yet it will require you to think critically to accomplish tasks rather than finish the task for you. It will replace all textbooks, as they will now be downloaded onto the machine and it will fit into the palm of your hand. I see classrooms themselves set up as mini-labs with several communal tables for team-oriented tasks rather than the traditional setup of rows of chairs and desks.”